The Los Angeles Chargers have been one of the biggest surprises and disappointments this NFL season.
They've opened with five straight losses, turning what was expected to be another playoff contender into a potential lottery team. After back-to-back 11-6 seasons and two straight postseason appearances under head coach Jim Harbaugh, this isn't what anybody expected.
The most frustrating part is that the Chargers have had opportunities to win multiple games, but have routinely struggled to close out. They led late against Denver in Week 5 before giving up their lead and losing 23-17, and saw the same thing happen two weeks prior when they lost 24-16 in Buffalo.
Through it all, Justin Herbert has looked like a shell of himself, completing just 59.4% of his passes for 937 yards and five touchdowns with seven interceptions, posting a passer rating of just 70.2, one of the lowest marks in the NFL.
Speaking on Sunday morning, former NFL head coach and ESPN analyst Rex Ryan offered a harsh assessment of Herbert's struggles.
"Justin Herbert, when he came out, I said he was a generational talent," Ryan said. "He's big, strong, fast, smart, athletic, tough. He's got it all, man. When I saw him in college, I was like, This is a can't-miss [guy] without question.' When he was a rookie, he played his absolute tail off. I mean, the best rookie performance I had seen. Outplayed Joe Burrow. I'm like, 'Oh my god, they're going to win so many championships.'
"He's gone downhill," Ryan added. "This doesn't even look like the same guy. To me, let's go back to doing what he does. Go back to being a Jim Harbaugh football team, where we can recognize him, please."
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Herbert burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2020, throwing for 4,336 yards and 31 touchdowns while completing 66.6% of his passes and earning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. He followed that up with an even better 2021 season, throwing for 5,014 yards and 38 touchdowns, completing 65.9% of his throws and earning his first Pro Bowl nod.
The problem is his numbers have been steadily declining since. Herbert threw just 23 touchdowns across 17 games in 2024, but his three interceptions made it justifiable. Last season, he threw for 26 touchdowns but also 13 interceptions, marking his third straight season with under 4,000 passing yards. This season, he's already on pace for the lowest totals of his career and hasn't been the rushing threat he was last year either, when he put up a career-high 498 rushing yards.
Harbaugh set the standard the moment he arrived, but this season has been brutal, and Mike McDaniel was hired as the offensive coordinator to help unlock something new in this offense. He hasn't, and now everybody's job is in question.
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Sunday's game against the Chiefs is critical for Herbert, Harbaugh, and McDaniel. A win could give LA renewed belief heading into its Week 7 bye. Another loss, though, and the Chargers would fall to 0-6 and well out of the playoff race. For a player once viewed as one of the brightest young stars in the NFL, this is about the worst start imaginable.